Unlike last year, this year there is no shortage of Walnuts for pickling. For this process they need to be immature, with no wood having formed inside. A simple test with a pointed knife will reveal if this is so.
The green nuts must be 'topped and tailed', and pierced with a stainless knife blade a couple of times. Any slight imperfections should also be removed.
They are then put into brine for 10 days, with the brine being changed at least twice. Then they are washed and dried, and put out into the sun for a couple of days until they turn black.
At this stage they are packed into large jars and a sweetened vinegar added. You now have to wait at least until Christmas; preferably Christmas 2019 or 2020.
Pickled Walnuts are not to everyone's taste, but I have yet to find a more delicious accompaniment to really good strong English Cheddar cheese.
27 comments:
I eat a lot of pickled veggies and fruit but have never tried a walnut.
cheers, parsnip
The best commercial ones are made by a company called Opies. They can be found in most good quality shops.
Looks like a good crop this year; you should be set up for the 2019 Christmas or the one after.
I can't recall trying pickled walnuts either.
Alphie
I was raised on them; they were part of Christmas.
They look so good.
I've learnt something new; never eaten and least still, heard of pickled walnuts before reading about it here.
Greetings Maria x
The one's I'm eating at the moment (2017) are superb.
I think they are a very English 'speciality'.
Like Maria I've never eaten them ,some people preserve here green almonds.
You can also use these green walnuts to make a liqueur. I did a few years ago making it with ouzo. You could hardly taste the ouzo thank goodness. It was interesting but too sweet. Alas we no longer have a walnut tree. It was eaten by some sort of worm.
Your crop this year looks abundant. Good news for you.
Are they pickled, like our Walnuts?
There are several 'Eau de Vie' based drinks here that use Walnut leaves. I have two unopened bottles.
I pickled a red cabbage last week.
I do mine about a week before Christmas; I only ever eat it with cold Turkey.
Len Goodman , former Head Judge on SCD, used to do it.
What? Pickle Walnuts? Sensible lad!
Sounds good, Cro. Reminded me apropos of you mentioning cheese, nothing to do with pickling, of my eternal love for cranberries. I have an old Katie Stewart recipe, ca mid eighties, probably from Good Housekeeping, for cranberry sauce. It's dead cert, dead easy and amazing.
Yes, such is my love for cranberry sauce I bought the whole lot of what they had left of fresh cranberries (frozen) from our local M&S (half price) mid Feb, with the most comforting thought that, if my taste takes me and my cheese there, I can make cranberry pulp in July.
I'd send you "pickled" greetings, but you can't be too careful in blogland. Anything that can be misconstrued, most likely, will be.
Brine greetings,
U
My husband makes them, when he can get them. Yum!
I've never tried them, but I quite like pickled things.
Lady Magnon always makes her own Cranberry sauce; very good it is too.
He sounds like a good man!
They are an 'acquired' taste.
Absolutely adore them.
So do I Weave. One of my treats.
I might have to go and scrump some green walnuts now..
I think so.
Plenty around this year. I'm surprised you don't have your own tree.
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